May Prosecutors Take Direction From the President?

What would happen if the President could control federal prosecutors and directed them to make discretionary decisions that are normally reserved to trained professionals familiar with the facts, law, and traditions of the Department of Justice? We have argued, in a companion article, that the President has no such power. In this Article, we play out the consequences if we are wrong. If they follow the President’s direction, prosecutors would likely violate ethical rules and norms. Because these professional obligations are created by courts and endorsed by federal statute, presidential control over prosecutorial decision making would lead to serious separation of powers concerns. Particularly, the integrity of the judicial system depends on the ethical rules at issue. By exploring these separation of powers concerns, this Article contributes to a growing debate about the power of the executive over prosecution and further supports the independence of DOJ and federal prosecutors.

Disclaimer

Just in case you don't get it: The views expressed are solely those of the blog post author and should not be attributed to anyone else, meaning they do not necessarily represent the views of any organization that the post author is affiliated with or with the views of any other author who publishes on this blog.